Method and system for providing character contents in the form of images

Abstract

According to the method for providing character contents, when a request for retrieval is transmitted from a client terminal to a contents providing system through a network, the contents providing system reads the requested character contents by searching storage means. The contents providing system dynamically converts the character contents from character data to image data and transmits the converted image data to the client terminal. The client terminal receives the image data and displays it on a display to allow monitoring of the same. No problem arises in the visibility and readability of the character contents even when they are converted into image data, and a client can use the image data as reference data like character data. On the end of the contents providing system which provides contents, contents are stored in storage means as character data, and the character data are transmitted to the client after being converted into image data while maintaining operability in searching using keywords or the like. This makes it possible to prevent the client from copying and reusing the character data.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of providing character contents in the form of images, comprising: 
 (a) a first step of transmitting a request for retrieval of character contents from a client terminal to a contents providing system, the contents providing system and client terminal being connected through a network such that they can communicate with each other;    (b) a second step of searching storage means of the contents providing system to read the requested character contents, the storage means storing the character contents as character data;    (c) a third step of converting the read character contents from character data to image data; and    (d) a fourth step of transmitting the image data as a result of the conversion of the character contents to the client terminal.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , comprising a step of determining each part of the character contents read from the storage means to see whether it needs to be converted into image data and converting only character data which must be converted into image data.  
     
     
         3 . A system for providing character contents in the form of images, comprising: 
 (a) a contents providing system connected to a client terminal through a network such that they can be communicate with each other;    (b) storage means disposed in a server of the contents providing system for storing character contents as character data;    (c) search means provided at the server for searching the storage means when there is a request for retrieval of character contents from the client terminal to read the requested character contents;    (d) conversion means provided at the server for dynamically converting the read character contents from character data to image data; and    (e) contents information transmission means provided at the server for transmitting the image data as a result of the conversion of the character contents to the client terminal.    
     
     
         4 . A system for providing character contents in the form of images according to  claim 3 , wherein a determination is made on each part of the character contents read from the storage means to see whether it needs to be converted into image data and wherein only character data which must be converted are converted into image data.  
     
     
         5 . A system for providing character contents in the form of images according to  claim 3 , wherein the client terminal and the server of the contents providing system are connected to the internet; a front server and a back server connected to the internet are provided in the server; and a database as the storage means is provided in the back server.  
     
     
         6 . A system for providing character contents in the form of images according to  claim 5 , wherein the search means and conversion means are provided in the front server.  
     
     
         7 . A system for providing character contents in the form of images according to  claim 3 , wherein a WWW server is provided in the server and wherein the contents information transmission means is provided in the WWW server.